This conversation with Dr. Leticia Hernandez hits every nerve of what real, human-centered leadership in education looks like: courage, systems thinking, vulnerability, and a fierce “not on my watch” commitment to kids.

Her journey—from arriving in the U.S. without English to leading the school district that once taught her—is a case study in what’s possible when educators refuse to let circumstances define a student's future.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS

• 02:17 – Leticia’s childhood, uprooting to the U.S., and the first spark of possibility
• 05:32 – The one teacher who changed her entire trajectory
• 08:21 – Returning to teach in her own childhood classroom
• 10:40 – “Not on my watch”: the moment that shaped her leadership
• 14:48 – The danger of limiting beliefs about kids
• 16:50 – Systems thinking vs. one-off professional development
• 19:02 – Data that becomes personal — and why that’s the unlock
• 23:15 – Building a districtwide culture of shared responsibility
• 26:44 – Creating teacher leadership without the top-down trap
• 29:12 – The principal as a true instructional leader
• 33:05 – Why many districts don’t do the things we know work
• 35:47 – Removing ego: the hardest leadership skill
• 39:00 – Building a tight leadership column
• 42:21 – The power of relationships in sustaining change
• 44:20 – Why vulnerability is an underused leadership tool
• 48:03 – Celebrating small wins and proof of early trajectory shifts
• 51:10 – The hope, responsibility, and reality of leading for all kids
• 
  

If this conversation reminded you why leadership matters, and why every child deserves someone in their corner, take a moment to:

👍 Lift this message by liking the episode

🔔 Follow for more bold insights on transforming education

💬 Share your biggest leadership lesson or reflection

🔗 Pass this forward to a fellow educator, leader, or policymaker who needs to hear it

#ShatteringInequities #EducationLeadership #EquityInSchools #HumanCenteredLeadership #SuperintendentVoices #TeacherLeadership #SystemicChange #EveryStudentEveryDay #LeadershipMatters #EducationReform

Two women whose stories sit on opposite sides of the K–12 system—a former administrator and a first-generation college graduate—reveal the quiet forces that shape who gets access to a “premium education,” and who gets overlooked.

Sarita, a veteran educator who transformed struggling schools, shares the moment she discovered how a broken system can derail a student’s entire future—and what it took to rebuild that system so more kids could thrive.

Then Anabelia, a high-performing Latina student, recounts how a single conversation with her counselor almost convinced her she “wasn’t college material.” Her story highlights the assumptions, blind spots, and cultural misunderstandings that deter countless capable students from the opportunities they deserve.

Together, their experiences unpack a bigger truth: inequity isn’t just about resources. It’s about expectations, information, and systems designed without real guardrails. And those things can be changed.

Key Discussion Points

00:00 – Opening: Why inequities persist even when adults mean well

02:11 – Meet Sarita: From Title I teacher to turnaround leader

05:02 – The student is scheduled for Algebra I three times

08:48 – Meet Velia: First-gen student labeled “not ready” for college

12:20 – How assumptions shape course placement and opportunity

15:54 – What really happens to students who choose community college

19:30 – The “default to university-eligible” mindset

22:07 – The power of affiliation and why involvement predicts graduation

26:45 – What a real data-driven K–12 system looks like

32:18 – How counseling caseloads influence student futures

36:12 – The GPS model: real-time support, not early warning

41:50 – What parents can do — even if they don’t know the system

45:03 – Wisdom for educators: the tangible + the intangible

50:12 – Closing: The collective responsibility to shatter inequities

If you’re a school or district leader, counselor, teacher, parent, or anyone who believes kids’ futures shouldn’t depend on luck—this conversation will stay with you.

Don’t forget to:

👍 Lift this conversation by liking the video

🔔 Subscribe to stay part of the movement to expand opportunity

💬 Share the insight that hit closest to home

🔗 Pass this along to someone who works with students

#EducationEquity #K12Leadership #CollegeAccess #FirstGenSuccess #ShatteringInequities #StudentSuccess #EducationReform #SchoolLeadership #CounselorLife #DataDrivenSchools

Mathematics education serves as the ultimate gatekeeper for student success. Yet systemic inequities continue to block historically underserved students from accessing premium math instruction.

In this powerful episode, Dr. Robin Avelar-La Salle sits down with two exceptional educator-leaders, Omar Zuñiga and Lisa Ceja, who have dedicated their careers to dismantling barriers in mathematics education through systemic solutions rather than individual fixes.

Key takeaways:

- The mathematics bottleneck prevents historically undersuccessful students from accessing all post-secondary options, making it a critical equity issue in education

- Simply improving individual teacher instruction without establishing clear rigor standards across all classrooms perpetuates systemic inequities

- Schools often lack alignment on what constitutes grade-level mathematics, leading to vastly different educational experiences for students in the same district or even the same school

- Establishing a clear instructional "floor" using objective standards like state assessment blueprints ensures all students receive premium education regardless of zip code

- Finger-pointing between grade levels about student preparedness wastes valuable instructional time and maintains achievement gaps

- Data reflection sessions focused on standards alignment and assessment previews dramatically improve student outcomes when teachers collaborate systematically

- Grading practices can inadvertently maintain inequities, particularly when zeros cannot be recovered from or when assessment formats don't match what students will encounter

- Both educators experienced firsthand the isolation of being underrepresented in advanced mathematics, driving their passion for creating inclusive math environments

- Systems work, not just instructional strategies, provides the foundation for sustainable equity improvements in mathematics education

Subscribe to hear more conversations that uncover research-driven strategies for transforming education and shattering inequities for every student. Like this episode if you're ready to look beyond surface-level solutions and dive into the systems work that creates lasting change in mathematics education.

#EducationEquity #MathematicsEducation #SystemsChange #EducationalLeadership #TeacherCollaboration #StudentSuccess #EquityInSTEM #EducationReform #ProfessionalLearning #AchievementGap